Privacy Nutrition Label Comprehension & Trust Survey

Welcome to this research survey on privacy information labels — the summary panels that show what data apps and services collect, why, and with whom it is shared. Your participation is entirely voluntary, and you may stop at any time. There are no right or wrong answers — we are interested in your honest opinions. All responses are confidential, anonymized, and reported only in aggregate for research purposes. Estimated time: 6–8 minutes.

In the past 12 months, have you seen a privacy "nutrition label" (a summary panel showing what data an app or service collects) for any app, website, device, or service?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Where have you encountered a privacy label? Select all that apply.

• Apple App Store
• Google Play Store
• Product website
• Inside the app or device settings
• On product packaging
• Browser extension or add-on
• News article or review
• Other (please specify)

<p>Please review the following fictional privacy label for "FitTrack," a health and fitness app.</p><p><strong>Data Collected:</strong></p><p>Precise location — Used for route tracking (retained up to 1 year)</p><p>Health &amp; fitness data — Used for app functionality (retained until account deletion)</p><p>Usage analytics — Used for product improvement (retained up to 90 days)</p><p><strong>Data Shared with Third Parties:</strong></p><p>Usage analytics — Shared with analytics providers</p><p>Health &amp; fitness data — Not shared</p><p>Contacts — Not collected</p><p><strong>Security:</strong> Data encrypted in transit and at rest.</p><p><strong>Controls:</strong> You can disable location tracking and delete your data at any time.</p><p>Please review this label carefully before continuing.</p>

Based on the sample label you just reviewed, does FitTrack collect precise location data?

• Yes
• No
• Not sure

Overall, how useful would this style of privacy label be when deciding whether to use an app?

Rank the following label elements by how important they are to you when deciding whether to use an app (drag to reorder; top = most important).

1. What data are collected
2. Why data are collected (purposes)
3. Who data are shared with
4. How long data are kept (retention)
5. Security practices
6. Controls and opt-outs available

What, if anything, would make privacy labels more useful or easier to understand?

What is your age?

• 18–24
• 25–34
• 35–44
• 45–54
• 55–64
• 65 or older
• Prefer not to say

Thank you for completing this survey. Your feedback will help improve how privacy information is designed and communicated to users like you.

When choosing apps or devices in the past 3 months, how often did you notice privacy labels?

• Never
• Less than once a month
• About monthly
• About weekly
• Several times per week
• Daily or almost daily

According to the sample label, how long are usage analytics data retained?

• Up to 30 days
• Up to 90 days
• Up to 1 year
• Until you delete your account
• Not stated

How easy or difficult was the sample privacy label to understand?

Realistically, how much time would you spend reading a privacy label before installing an app?

• Less than 5 seconds
• 5–15 seconds
• 16–30 seconds
• 31–60 seconds
• 1–2 minutes
• More than 2 minutes
• I would not read it

Based on your responses in this survey, please share any additional thoughts or feelings about privacy labels and how they influence your decisions.

Which best describes your gender?

• Woman
• Man
• Non-binary
• Prefer to self-describe
• Prefer not to say

After reading a privacy label, which actions have you taken? Select all that apply.

• Installed or continued using the product
• Chose a different product
• Decided not to install or use
• Adjusted privacy settings
• Sought more information
• Ignored it or took no action

According to the sample label, are your contacts shared with third parties?

• Yes, with advertisers
• Yes, with service providers
• No, kept on device
• Not collected

If a product displays this kind of privacy label, how would it affect your trust in that product?

Where do you think privacy labels should appear? Select all that apply.

• App store listing
• On first launch (onboarding)
• Within app or device settings
• Product website
• Physical packaging
• I don't need to see them
• Other (please specify)

We'd like to explore your thoughts on privacy labels in a bit more depth. An AI moderator will ask you a couple of follow-up questions about your experiences and opinions.

If you selected 'Prefer to self-describe,' please share your gender identity (optional):

How likely would you be to choose an app that displays a privacy label like this over one that does not?

In which region do you currently live?

• North America
• Central America or Caribbean
• South America
• Western Europe
• Eastern Europe
• Middle East or North Africa
• Sub-Saharan Africa
• South Asia
• East Asia
• Southeast Asia
• Oceania
• Prefer not to say

What is the highest level of education you have completed?

• Some high school or less
• High school diploma or equivalent
• Some college or associate degree
• Bachelor's degree
• Postgraduate or advanced degree
• Prefer not to say

What is your current employment status?

• Full-time
• Part-time
• Self-employed
• Student
• Homemaker or caregiver
• Unemployed and looking
• Retired
• Prefer not to say